1. Field
Embodiments relate to an electric precipitator to collect contaminants, such as dust, using electrical attraction.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an electric precipitator is mounted in an air conditioner, etc. The electric precipitator is disposed in an air flow channel to collect contaminants, such as dust, from air passing therethrough using electrical attraction.
Generally, the electric precipitator collects contaminants using a two-stage electric precipitation structure including an electrification unit disposed at an upstream side in an air flow direction to electrify contaminants and a collection unit disposed at a downstream side in the air flow direction to collect the electrified contaminants using electrical attraction.
In the electric precipitator having the two-stage electric precipitation structure, the electrification unit includes a discharge wire forming a plus pole and a pair of opposite electrode plates disposed spaced a regular height from the discharge wire to form a minus pole, and the collection unit includes a plurality of high-voltage collection electrode plates and a plurality of ground electrode plates which are alternately disposed.
In the conventional electric precipitator, however, high voltage is applied to the discharge wire so as to generate discharge between the discharge wire and the ground electrode plates. Therefore, a large-capacity power supply is provided to apply high voltage, and a large amount of power is consumed.
Since high voltage is applied to the discharge wire as described above, the discharge wire and the collection unit are greatly spaced apart from each other in consideration of safety. As a result, it may be difficult to reduce the size of the electric precipitator.